The Older Brother
"Once a man had two sons. The younger son said to his father: 'Give me my share of the property.' So the father divided his property between his two sons." That's the dramatic beginning of a story that Jesus told. Who doesn't like to hear the end of it? Jesus had a knack for telling tales and mesmerizing his audience. Only beware: Jesus hardly ever summoned the crowd for pure entertainment. This story will get to us. As the story unfolds we may recognize ourselves in one of the main characters and it won't be one of the hero-types. We will be confronted with our innermost thoughts about God. Are they always positive?
"Once a man had two sons. The younger son said to his father: 'Give me my share of the property.' So the father divided his property between his two sons." Outrageous. The younger son was so keen on his inheritance that he couldn't wait until his father died. That's how the story starts off. Let's hear more of it.
The following happened: The younger son dared to ask for his share of the property right away, was lucky to get it, converted the estate to money and then took off to waste the fortune on wild living. When the money finally ran out, he came to his senses. When he got so low that he was craving pig feed but couldn't even get that, he said: "My father's workers have plenty to eat, and here I am, starving to death! I will go to my father and say to him: 'Father, I've sinned against God in heaven and against you. I'm no longer good enough to be called your son. Treat me like one of your workers.'"
With those words "the younger son got up and started back to his father. But when he was still a long way away, his father saw him and felt sorry for him. He ran to his son and hugged and kissed him." Let's take a break here. At this point the story astounds the listener. What a home-coming! What a welcome! Not only made this ancient patriarch a fool of himself by running toward his wayward son, he spotted him from a long way off and therefore must have scanned the horizon in the desperate hope that his long lost child might come back.
And as the story continues even more fantastic events unfold. Struggling with all the hugs and kisses the younger son eventually managed to say what he had intended to say, but his father didn't seem to take any notice and said to the servants: "Hurry and bring the best clothes and put them on him. Give him a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. Get the best calf and prepare it, so we can eat and celebrate. This son of mine was dead, but has now come back to life. He was lost and has now been found." What stunning plot development!
The younger son didn't deserve any of his father's favours. He brought nothing but shame on the family. Surely that cannot be forgotten. How can he be reinstated as heir? His father's love must have run deep and must have been stronger than all the hurt.
That being the case, maybe I can admit something. I harbor sympathies for the younger son. I know that I do so for the wrong reasons but I like that he was the rebel-type, that he broke away from the stuffiness of home and sought freedom. Fronting up before the patriarch and asking for his share of the property must have taken guts but he did it and then indulged his dreams. Even though he was irresponsible and wasted whatever he had, he did what his heart told him to do. There were no compromises. And in like manner: when he finally came back, he was back for good. He now knew about the dark sides of life and was happy at home. The younger son was quite a character receiving outstanding VIP-treatment on his return.
For all the wrong reasons I have to admit that I harbor sympathies for him. However we better not identify with him. We shouldn't romanticize shameful actions and what's more: He stands for the people who run away from God and then find their way back. That's not us. Most of us haven't run away from God. Within Jesus' story we are not the younger but the older son. Listen to his side of the story.
"The older son had been out in the field. but when he came near the house, he heard the music and dancing. So he called one of the servants over and asked: 'What's going on here?' The servant answered: 'Your brother has come home safe and sound, and your father ordered us to kill the best calf.' The older brother got so angry that he wouldn't even go into the house."
I can understand his anger. They all enjoyed themselves, celebrated the biggest party of the year and he wasn't even told about it. No messenger came out into the field where he was and called him home. While he worked, others danced. And to top it off: Everybody cheered because his good-for-nothing brother came home. Is that worth a party? That's outrageous! Who wouldn't get hot under the collar?
The older brother got angry and understandably so. However as the story continues, we may no longer want to understand him or be on his side. We come to realize that his anger went deeper than first expected. It was not a sudden flare-up but the outburst of a profound, long-held grudge against his father.
The story continues: "His father came out and begged him to go in. But he said to his father: 'For years I've worked for you like a slave and have always obeyed you. But you have never even given me a little goat, so that I could give a dinner for my friends. This other son of yours wasted your money on prostitutes. And now that he has come home, you ordered the best calf to be killed for a feast.'"
Do you recognize yourself in the words of the older son? It's not an attractive question, but I ask it again: Do you recognize yourself in the words of the older son? I do. "I've worked for you like a slave." I can relate to that. Sometimes our heavenly Father's business seems to be severely understaffed. "God, why don't you send more missionaries, pastors, teachers, counselors, carers, ... to look after your people? Why do you place the whole burden of ministry on a few slave-like volunteers? I and others would like to work normal hours for a change. So many of us come home and have a second job at the church. God, we are tired." The words of the older son are sometimes ours: "I've worked for you like a slave." God doesn't seem to allow any breaks. "You have never even given me a little goat, so that I could give a dinner for my friends." Non-Christians seem to have all the fun: sex, drugs and rock'n roll. No wonder the older son was bitter: "This other son of yours wasted your money on prostitutes."
Are we right in saying what we do? The father in the story replied: "My son, you're always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we should be glad and celebrate! Your brother was dead, but he's now alive. He was lost and has now been found."
God points out the obvious. Maybe we are tempted to trade places with wild and reckless people – the older brother had day-dreams about his younger brother having good times with prostitutes – but how do their lives end up? Would we still like to trade places when they go broke and start craving pig feed? It's good to be home with the Father. It's good to love and be loved in God's family. Away from home the younger brother was dead and lost. Only at home he was once again alive and found.
And it's not true that our heavenly Father never gives us a little goat to have dinner with our friends. Where does this idea come from? The younger brother could ask for half of the property and get it. Why then wouldn't we get a little goat? When the father heard the accusations of the older brother, he simply said: "My son, you're always with me, and everything I have is yours." What a pity! Food and drink was always there for us but we simply didn't make use of the refreshments and ended up resenting what we thought to be a demanding father.
Who says that we have to work non-stop? Who says that we have to give, give and give some more without having decent breaks and sometimes the luxuries of proper parties? That's certainly not what God commands. We may be victims of our own perfectionism and pride. It's flattering at first but we make it tough on ourselves when we think that nothing happens without our participation. If we don't lend a hand, nothing will be done right and the whole church will come to grief. With that kind of attitude we work like the older brother and over the years our self-made burdens weigh us down more and more. We come to work without love and joy.
Let's stop this and listen to God: "My son, you're always with me, and everything I have is yours." Let's enjoy the riches and blessings of our inheritance. Take time out. Don't do anything for a while but simply let God's word and love refresh you.
If you only take a little time out, you will see our heavenly Father with new eyes. The father in the story did not just make a fool out of himself for the younger son – losing his dignity by running towards him, hugging and kissing him – the father in the story also made a fool out of himself for the older son. In full view of the whole festive community he left the party, went outside and begged his older son to join them. Only love could have made him behave so unlike any self-respecting patriarch. Today as we celebrate Reformation Sunday and therefore celebrate God's grace, let's not hold any grudges against our heavenly Father but see his love. He begs us to be joyful.
God's love is not far and we know where to look. With new eyes – and now we get away from the story – with new eyes we look once again at the dying body of Jesus on the cross and take in how God pleads with us from the cross. Strange behaviour for the God Almighty! We see his love that made Jesus Christ hang there and we see the truth: "God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die" (John 3:16).
Jesus told the story of a man who had two sons. Now that the story is told, I hope you agree with me that it was a challenging but useful story. Who knows? Perhaps – by God's grace – it will change us.
How good it is to be home with the Father! How good it is to love and be loved in God's family! In his home God is prepared to make a fool out of himself so that we celebrate with him. What are we waiting for? We come home. We come inside as the Father begs us. Amen.
